A/N: It's been over a month. Shame on me. But warnings here for a slight bit of tasteless language later. Don't worry, it will be punished. Now let me not hold you. Carry on.
Of Dragons and Ravens
Chapter 10: Submissive
Harry reached the Tower just as the last of his Housemates were climbing through the portrait. Even before he entered the common room he heard a flurry of voices, ranging in pitch and tone. He was annoyed but unsurprised to hear his and Draco's names coming from several areas of the room. When he got in he looked about at his Housemates. It seemed his life was, as usual, the topic of conversation among people of every year.
He watched Hermione and Ron trying to usher and direct the first years to their dorms, but they were paying their instructors little mind as they tried to eavesdrop on conversations from their older Housemates about the latest Harry Potter scandal. Harry got annoyed with the older students just as he did with the Slytherins. The first years did not need to be hearing this rot.
"Will you all just shut it?" he asked, aggravation clear in his raised voice.
The conversations broke off for a moment as people noticed his presence, but they started up again tenfold as his Housemates surrounded him and started bombarding him with questions and accusations.
"What are you playing at?"
"Are you really dating Malfoy?"
"What did he do to you?"
"Have you switched sides, Harry?"
"Are you trying to convert us?"
"Why do you have wings now?"
"Can we see your wings, Harry?!"
"What are you?"
Harry was wearing down under the onslaught of voices aimed at him. He had been through more than enough today. He felt Draco feeling a mix of stress and anger himself. It seemed his mate was under similar fire from his House. Harry wished he had some calm feelings to send him, but he was tapped out himself at the moment.
"Quiet!" Harry heard Hermione yell to the assembly. Bless her.
The ruckus didn't quite calm under her first instruction, so she amplified her voice with a Sonorus that overpowered everyone, making them flinch back from the sound.
"You will not all harass Harry like that. We will have order in this room," she said after she brought her voice back to normal. "Further, how do you expect him to explain anything when you all just yell and shoot more questions at him before he can answer the last? You will give him the chance to explain himself, if he wants to, and then you will leave him alone," she finished, glaring everyone into submission.
She looked over at Harry, making everyone else follow suit. Harry sighed. He supposed he owed them all an explanation since he had wanted Draco to sit with them tonight, but he was still rather peeved at them for their refusal and the verbal venom they had shouted at him earlier. But if he didn't explain, the rumors would just escalate and that wouldn't help anything.
He went to the stairs leading to the dorms and stood where he could see everyone.
"Okay, here's the story- Early June, I found out that I was mated to a Veela," he began.
He paused for the surprised gasps from everyone who understood and looks of confusion from those that didn't know what a Veela was. Then he held on for the murmurs of those that correctly deduced that Draco was said Veela.
"Then just before my birthday," he continued, "I found out that I was a Veela, too."
More gasps and excited chatter broke out, but he ignored it and moved on.
"As some of you have already guessed, Draco is my mate."
The chatter was a bit more aggressive at this point, but as this was the crux of the matter, he had to get to the point now before everyone went off on a tangent.
"And as such," he said with a raised voice to draw attention back to him, "he is mine. Therefore, he is under my protection. I will not tolerate anyone doing him harm."
With this, he aimed a glare at the group of fourth years responsible for attacking Draco on the train. They shrunk under his glower and no longer met his eyes. He would deal with them later. He could have made a public example of them, but it wasn't in him right then.
"This is the only warning I will give you. Attempt to harm my mate or myself and I will not be held responsible for the consequences you will face."
A hush fell over the crowd at this point as everyone contemplated just what kind of consequences were in store for those that did not heed Harry's warning. Harry saw some mutinous glares aimed at him and suspected he'd have to prove his word to some before everything was over and done.
"Now to clear up some of your questions- I am not playing at anything. This is just my life now. I am a Veela. I have a Veela mate. Get used to it. Yes, I am dating Draco, if that's what you prefer to call it, though it's so much more than that. He didn't do anything to me. He didn't choose to become a Veela, either. It's just something that happened to both of us. It's a heritage neither of us was aware of before it came upon us. No, I have not switched sides. I am still against Voldemort (he rolled his eyes at the collective flinch here) and plan to fight him and I urge you to be prepared to do the same. But I am not trying to convert you to anything. You will choose for yourselves what you want. As for my wings…," he finished, unfurling them.
He wasn't going to let them out at first, but decided that seeing the wings might calm down some of the people and hopefully distract them from asking him anything else. He didn't particularly like the attention or showcasing himself like a zoo animal, but he currently thought it was better than the alternative.
He stood for a minute as everyone looked at his newest appendages and more excited talk broke out over them. He heard girls cooing at him like he was a cat and murmured desires of wanting to touch his wings. He wouldn't allow that. No one was allowed to touch his wings but Draco. Having decided he had made enough of a spectacle of himself, he withdrew the wings.
"Now if you don't mind, I'm going to bed. Congratulations new Gryffindors. Goodnight."
He heard the prattle continue at a higher level as he ascended the stairs, but he let it go. He would be the center of conversation long into the night. He knew that.
He walked into his familiar dorm and smiled. It was always nice to be back at Hogwarts. And though he had always considered it home, he now thought of his house with Draco as that.
He unpacked his things and put them in their usual places. It was a mindless activity and he didn't particularly want to think right then. When he'd finished, he took his pyjamas and headed toward the shower. Now was an excellent time to wash away the day.
He thought of Draco as he lay in bed awhile later. This would be the first time he'd slept alone in weeks. Worse, it'd be the first time he woke up alone. He was feeling the separation stronger now.
He wasn't actually tired yet. He'd only come up here to escape the mass of people downstairs, but he was bored now. He wished his dorm mates would join him soon, but knew they'd likely spend hours yet catching up with people. He considered going back downstairs, even if he'd face more questions, but thought better of it. Tomorrow was soon enough to have to deal with everyone and everything.
He turned his thoughts inward instead and sought out Draco through their bond. His mate felt much calmer than before, but he was slightly weary now.
"Explain it again, Draco," Goyle said.
Draco was getting tired of explaining this. This would be his third time through the story.
"I am a Veela. Harry Potter is a Veela and my mate. That's it," he said.
They got the condensed version this time. He wasn't about to go through three months worth of story again.
"But it still doesn't make sense," Crabbe interjected.
Draco would have rolled his eyes if doing so wouldn't be the height of impropriety. He was still a Malfoy, after all.
After he'd escorted the first years down to the dungeons and given them their customary talk, he'd had a flaming row with half of Slytherin House before issuing a one time only warning to the lot of them to leave Harry alone. Then he retreated to his Head Boy room with Crabbe, Goyle, Pansy, and Blaise. He thought they could use some privacy for this talk. Plus, he was assessing their likelihood of still being his friends even with these new developments.
"It doesn't have to. Just know that both Harry and I came into Veela inheritances this summer and found out we are mates. There is nothing much more to it than that," he said.
"Except questionable allegiances," interjected Blaise.
Draco had always liked that about Blaise. Cut right into the heart of things without all the circumventing or circumlocution. He was always thinking several steps ahead and determining the best course of action based on the affect any number of moves could have on him. That's why Draco had yet to beat him at chess.
"Yes, there is that," Draco said.
He just let that statement hang in the air with all of the implications and uncertainties of his position.
"I'm not positive what I'm going to do about that," he said after a moment, "but one thing I am positive about is this- I will not harm Harry Potter nor allow anyone else to harm him, either. He is my mate." He paused. Now for the crux. "I recognize the position that puts myself and you all in. This is your opportunity now to decide- either stand by me or abandon me for possibly safer allegiances. I will understand if you choose the second option now and we will part with no bad blood. But if you choose to stay now and betray me later, there are no words to describe the hell I will rain upon your heads. I will give you a week to decide."
He watched their reactions to his speech. Neither Pansy nor Blaise looked worried, but he had no idea what they were thinking. Like any good Slytherins, they kept everything close to their chests. Crabbe and Goyle, on the other hand, looked nervous and displeased. Draco knew they were weighing their options and couldn't decide yet where their best chances lay. Of the four of them, Draco suspected these would be the two that deserted him now. Not that they weren't decent enough friends, but they would see a higher chance of survival on the same side as the madman that didn't particularly care who he killed rather than siding with Draco, which was virtually siding with Dumbledore, an old coot that was too moral and good for his own good. It was those qualities that would likely end him.
Pansy and Blaise he thought might stay with him, at least for now. Neither had shown any particular interest in being a part of this war to begin with. This was their parents' game and they were the unfortunate offspring that got dragged into it. They had come to accept that they had familial expectations, but neither seemed to want it. Draco was offering them an out, which they might just take. He knew there was at least a chance they would betray him later, though, due to giving in to peer and family pressure, or because they saw a greater chance of survival under the Dark Lord. Draco understood and accepted this possibility, which is why he thought it only fair to give that warning for if they did go that way. He was offering them the Voldemort option now with no betrayed friendship between them. If they chose it later and became traitors to him, he would not forgive them.
So all in all, Draco thought it fair to give everyone a week to decide. It was more than enough time to weigh their options. What they chose was up to them and they would bear the consequences for it.
Knowing they could not move on to lighter topics in the wake of such a decision, he bade them goodnight and they left his room to return to the dungeons.
Draco lay in bed thinking of Harry. How his life had changed with the introduction of his raven. But of course he could not say it started with Harry. He had already moved out of his family home and parted ways with his father and his allegiances almost two months before Harry entered the picture at all, at least beyond the shared feelings through the bond. But thanks to Harry his choice was irreversible. Draco could never agree to serve someone who wanted his mate dead.
Draco sought out their link to determine how Harry was coping with his own Housemates and friends, and felt the bond already wide open on Harry's end. It seemed his raven was checking up on him, too.
Harry, he thought with an affectionate smile.
He almost fell off of the bed when he heard a surprised Draco?
It was Harry's voice and it sounded like he was right beside Draco in his room. Draco looked around him and was confused to discover that he was still alone. Surely Harry was just behind him.
Draco? Draco heard again, but this time the voice was much more tentative and unsure.
It took Draco a moment to realize the voice was inside his head. He sat dumbstruck for a full minute. Clearly this bond needed more research done on it because it had qualities Draco hadn't even dreamed of. They had telepathy now? When did that happen? How?
Harry? he finally responded.
But there was no answer.
Harry? he thought again.
Still no response.
Draco probed their bond again to discover that Harry's end had been closed off. Draco could still feel Harry's emotions, but it seemed Harry was no longer trying to feel his. Draco wasn't shocked, though, as Harry was currently awash in mixed feelings. He felt amazement but confusion, wonder but uncertainty, hope and a healthy bit of fear. He likely thought he had imagined hearing Draco's voice since Draco had not answered back in time. Draco was tempted to laugh at this. Harry should never doubt what goes on in his head. He supposed he'd tell Harry tomorrow that he really had heard Draco say his name. For the moment, he just sent a few comforting feelings through the bond since Harry was starting to feel oddly anxious. The raven settled down after that.
As Draco lay down to sleep, he decided to leave the link open on his side in case Harry wanted to check on him again. He could see for himself that Draco was fine and he wasn't mad. Well, no more mad than usual anyway. The open link made Draco feel better about being separated from Harry for the night, though some part of him still registered the loss. Well, he was sure he'd get used to it. This was just day one.
Harry awoke cold and uncomfortable. He felt like he had slept on the floor without clothes on. But there was softness around him and he wondered if he'd fallen off the bed and burst his pillow open.
It hadn't been the best night for him. He had been worried since he'd heard Draco's voice in his head. It had been an amazing thing to think they could mentally communicate, but Draco hadn't answered back when he'd called. For some reason it had made Harry think of Voldemort. The last time Voldemort intentionally got into his head was when he pretended to have Sirius. Maybe the madman was getting into Harry's head again, even despite his Occlumency. And maybe he had found a way to hide the taint of dark magic that Harry had grown accustomed to feeling when dealing with anything Voldemort. This was not a welcome thought.
But Harry had calmed down marginally when he'd felt Draco send him soothing feelings. Apparently Draco was alright. Perhaps Harry had just been hearing things. Maybe he'd imagined he'd heard Draco's voice because he'd been thinking of him. Still, worrying about what Voldemort might have done made for an uneasy night.
Harry blinked his eyes open to reveal that he did indeed have feathers surrounding him, but they were his own. His wings had come out in the night for whatever reason. Maybe to comfort him from his unpleasant thoughts and loneliness from missing Draco. Next he discovered that he certainly wasn't in his bed; he wasn't even in Gryffindor Tower. He had somehow made his way out into a corridor during the night.
Last was the least shocking, though. Harry stared into the sleeping face of Draco Malfoy, wings wrapped around himself and mixing slightly with Harry's. No wonder Harry felt like he'd slept on the floor without clothes- they were in a stone corridor with nothing to keep them warm but thin pyjamas and their own wings, which weren't quite enough to combat the chill of stone.
Still, Harry was pleased to see Draco. He didn't have to wake up alone after all. But he hoped this wouldn't be a continuing occurrence. Being drawn out into random corridors in the middle of the night could not go on. It was a horrible way to sleep.
Harry shook Draco in an effort to awaken him so they could both return to their rooms. They had class today and needed to get ready. Plus, Draco might have some Head boy duties he needed to do this morning, or learn about from last night.
"Draco. Draco, wake up," he said, shaking more when the blond refused to respond.
As had become their usual during their short month together, Draco did not want to get up when first roused. But as Harry could not just leave him there as he sometimes had in their bed, he employed a move that never failed to make Draco come wide awake.
Maneuvering himself between Draco's wings, Harry placed his hands just below Draco's ribcage on both sides of his body and tickled. The blond shot up on a yelp and scurried away from Harry's teasing fingers. He wrapped his arms around himself to protect his sensitive skin and block Harry's next attack.
"Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus. Never tickle a sleeping dragon. Has being at Hogwarts for six years taught you nothing?" he said on a dying laugh in his customary fashion.
He blinked and took in their surroundings. It took him a moment to realize they weren't where they were supposed to be.
"What are we doing out here?" he asked.
Harry just pointed at their intermingled wings.
"Should have known," said Draco before detangling them. "Well good morning," he smiled down at Harry.
And that was why Harry liked waking up to him. What day could possibly be bad when it started with that smile?
"Good morning," he returned with a smile of his own.
They didn't stay in the hallway overlong. It was cold and they both needed to get ready for the day. But as seventh years, they had the morning off from class on Mondays so Harry wasn't in too great a rush.
"See you at breakfast," he said to Draco as they bade farewell for the moment.
Harry returned to his dorm to surprised looks from his peers. He supposed he couldn't blame them. He was in his pyjamas and coming in before breakfast even started. He ignored the looks. This was too much to explain.
He cleaned himself up and joined his dorm mates when they went to breakfast. Hermione was once again ushering the first years to the Great Hall so Harry assumed he'd see her when they were all settled.
He noticed Draco doing the same for Slytherin's first years when he entered the Hall. Their eyes met and by mutual consent they chose to sit at their own House tables today. Harry wondered how the Slytherins were taking Draco's new position as his mate. Likely not well if some of the looks Harry noticed the snakes giving Draco were any indication.
Once everyone had settled down and people were filling their plates, Dumbledore stood up and addressed the school. Harry wondered what it was about. He couldn't remember Dumbledore making a speech the first day of class. That was usually reserved for the night before.
"Good morning, everyone. Might I have your attention for a moment?" his exuberant voice rang out across the Hall. "As we are all present this morning," a look at Harry and Draco, "I believe it is time to address something. We are proud to have in our midst for the first time in Hogwarts history a Veela pairing!" he said excitedly.
Harry was not surprised Dumbledore chose to address this before the entire school. It would cut down on the rumors and fact twisting if he laid down what happened simply. Though he would have preferred if Dumbledore had told him and Draco that he would be doing it instead of just doing so. It was their truth to tell, after all.
And he knew that excitement was faked. Dumbledore had not been pleased when they had discovered that Harry was mated to a Veela, and less pleased when they discovered that Veela was Draco. Nor was he happy when they found out Harry was a Veela himself. But he knew that his seeming acceptance of the pair would go a long way to many others accepting it, too.
"Our very own Messrs Potter and Malfoy have both come into Veela inheritances this summer and have discovered that they are mates. This is a very exciting time for us, but I must warn you- Veela are very territorial and protective of their mates so do be careful to not offend or harm either of them. They are both protected under Veela law regarding acts of defending their mate and claims to their mates. Any challenge to that claim or threat perceived will not go unanswered. Under Veela law, which supersedes wizard law, neither I nor they will be held responsible for any harm inflicted on anyone that does not heed this warning. With that being said, enjoy your breakfast and your classes."
The chatter rang out following Dumbledore's speech. It was merely a reminder to Gryffindor and Slytherin, but news to Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. They knew something was going on between Harry and Draco but Veela mates? This was quite the latest gossip and confirmed for some of those who doubted Rita Skeeter's article in the Prophet a week or so ago that the boys did have wings and were together.
The talk of the meal was of course Harry and Draco, but some conversations eventually drifted to class and other ordinary things. When breakfast was over, lower years went to class and most of the seventh years wandered back to their dorms or outside to enjoy their free morning before they really considered themselves back in school for the year.
Harry saw Hermione dragging Ron off to the library, but he made his way over to Draco once the Slytherin table had mostly cleared of its occupants. Draco was giving instructions to a few of the Slytherin Prefects who wandered off afterward.
"So what shall we do for the morning?" Draco asked once Harry was in hearing range.
"First I would like to go to Dumbledore about those students that attacked you," Harry told him.
"I believe Granger will have handled that last night," Draco informed him.
"Well I want to know what punishment they received."
"Then shouldn't you ask McGonagall? She is their Head of House, after all."
"She'll be in class right now. She always has first lesson with Hufflepuff first years. Dumbledore should only be in his office, but I don't know the password, so we have to catch him before he gets there."
"Fine, then. Lead the way."
Harry led them toward Dumbledore's office and caught him just before he ascended the revolving staircase.
"Good morning Harry, Draco. What can I do for you gentlemen today?" Dumbledore asked with his usual smile.
"We'd like to talk to you about the students that attacked Draco last night, professor," Harry told him.
"Ah. Please, join me in my office," he offered, sweeping his arm toward the staircase that began to move once they'd stepped onto it.
Once they were in his office, Dumbledore showed them to seats before his desk and offered them each a Lemon drop, which they declined. He took his own seat behind the large desk before broaching the issue again.
"Now, what you like to discuss about the students?" he asked.
"I'd like to know what their punishment is, sir," Harry told him.
"Ah, don't you think that should be between the students and Professor McGonagall, Harry?" he asked benignly.
Harry looked at him like he was mad for a moment. Draco squeezed his hand for some reason, but Harry couldn't quite tell why. He was focused on not hitting Dumbledore over the head with a blunt object at the moment.
"Well, and perhaps Mr. Malfoy," Dumbledore added belatedly.
Harry struggled to bite down on the remark he would have made had Draco not taken a lethal grip on his hand.
"No sir," he got out between his teeth. "I do believe it involves me as well, as Draco is my mate. As you said yourself, any threat or harm done to him I will see aptly punished. If I don't believe the punishment handed down by Professor McGonagall suitable enough, I will devise one of my own," he said.
"Oh now Harry, I did give that warning, but it was as a deterrent more than anything. We are all aware that you and Mr. Malfoy will face opposition this year and I expect you both to handle it valiantly, but with as little damage as possible."
Harry had to breathe deeply to staunch his acidic words. How like Dumbledore to give information, but only so far as it was convenient to him, manipulating a situation to his whims.
"Did you in any way lie to the students?" Harry asked.
"No," Dumbledore said.
"So we are protected under Veela law regarding how threats are punished?" Harry clarified.
"Yes, but that is a responsibility and I expect you to handle it as such. You are not to stir any trouble unnecessarily," Dumbledore was saying, but Harry had tuned out after "yes."
"Thank you, sir. That was all I needed to know," Harry said, rising.
He likely wouldn't get a straight answer out of Dumbledore regarding just what the punishment for the perpetrators was. He would have to ask McGonagall. She was a lot less round about in her answers.
"Have a nice day Harry, Draco, and do stay out of trouble," Dumbledore said as the pair left his office.
"Well that was informative," Draco drawled as he trailed Harry down the staircase.
"Dumbledore does a lot of things like that," Harry told him. "Giving you bits and pieces of information but never quite the whole thing. But you usually don't know you're missing pieces of the puzzle until someone tells you. Then you're looking at the picture and notice the small gaps. Then the whole thing gets knocked over before it can really be completed."
"Wow. And here I thought you and Dumbles were like two heads of a runespoor," Draco said.
Harry laughed. He'd never heard that comparison for close before.
"Anyway, the morning is ours. What do you want to do?" Harry asked.
"Follow me," Draco said with a bright smile.
And Harry followed. Because Draco was happy and so Harry was happy and excited to see what could put such a smile on his mate's face. That was the biggest Harry had seen Draco smile since they'd stepped into King's Cross station. There hadn't been a great deal to smile about since they'd left home.
Draco led Harry up to the fourth floor and shortly past the Prefect's bathroom. They stopped in front of a door made of a lovely mahogany. Around the frame were intricate designs of the four House mascots- the lion and snake and badger and eagle. It was a beautiful door, really, and Harry sensed rather powerful spells on it. They were comparable to the spells he'd sensed on professors' doors to their personal quarters, but had nothing on the spells lacing Dumbledore's office. That was spellwork that Hogwarts had made herself.
Beside the door, there was a portrait of a woman. She was dressed in a formal sundress from what looked like years ago and seated upon a chair in what looked like a lady's sitting room. The plaque under the frame said her name was Wilnora Balthoon. Harry had never heard of her, and so didn't know what she did to deserve her portrait hanging up in Hogwarts.
"Hello again, Draco dear. Back so soon? And who have we here?" she addressed Draco.
"Yes, Nora. This is Harry Potter, my mate, and I've come to show him my room," Draco told the portrait.
"Well isn't that nice, dearie. How do you do, Harry?" she smiled down at Harry.
"I'm very well, ma'am," Harry addressed the portrait formally. She could have been a former Headmistress for all he knew.
"Now, what's the password, dear?" she again questioned Draco.
"Raven's wings," Draco said to her and Harry heard the door unlock.
'Raven's wings?' Harry would have to ask why Draco had chosen that password later. But for now his attention was captured by Draco's room.
The bed and closet were made of that same mahogany that the door was made from and sported the same mascot designs, but larger. The bed itself was roughly twice as large as the beds in Harry's dorm and perhaps twice as thick. It was full of pillows and the comforter was reminiscent of the ones at their home. It had a side table like in the regular dorms, though. There was a full length mirror by the closet and a large window on the opposite side of the room to let in maximum sunlight when the sun rose. This would be a perfect angle to watch a sunrise whenever Draco chose.
There was a plump couch set up by a fireplace with a large table in front of it and a small side table, complete with lamp, adjacent to it. Harry assumed this area was to make up for the lack of a common room.
Harry wandered into the room and noticed a door leading elsewhere and he discovered it was a bathroom. It was decorated the same as the Prefect's bathroom, but on a smaller scale. It had a much smaller tub, but still with several taps, and a shower with multiple jets. The toilet and sink were a beautiful white marble than seemed to flow right up from the floor. There was a nicely framed mirror over the sink like in the community bathrooms in the dorms and racks for toiletries beside the sink.
While Harry sat appraising the room Draco came up behind him.
"If you think this is nice, you should see the Prefect's bathroom," he said.
"I have," Harry answered absent-mindedly while perusing the toiletry racks by the sink to inspect their contents.
"What do you mean you have? You're not a Prefect. When?" he asked.
"Since fourth year," Harry told him still looking through his things. "Cedric told me to take a bath there with my golden egg during the tournament. I've used it a few times since."
"Diggory," was all Draco said before he cut himself off.
Harry finally turned to him to see he looked slightly uncomfortable. He assumed Draco was going to make some unflattering comment about Cedric but didn't want to upset Harry with it. He was glad; he really didn't want to hear anything that would make him angry with Draco. So he moved on.
"You have a very nice room," he said.
"Yes. Granger has a similar one on the other side of the Prefect's bathroom, but she says she will be splitting her time between staying there and in Gryffindor Tower," Draco commented.
Harry had almost forgotten Hermione was Head Girl and thus would have her own room. He was glad she would be staying in the Tower sometimes, though. It would be odd not having her there at all.
They spent a bit of time in Draco's room, but decided to head outside like most of the seventh years. It was already September and this nice weather would not last much longer. They had just entered the Entrance Hall when they were confronted by a pack of Slytherins.
Bulstrode and Nott were in the lead, but Harry noticed they were followed by students he recognized from classes he shared with Slytherin, but couldn't recall their names. The pack leaders stopped in front of the Veela pair, and Harry felt Draco tense slightly beside him. Harry wondered what Draco expected this lot to do.
"Well if it isn't the Veela couple," said Nott.
"Answer something for us, Draco, because Theo and I have been debating," Bulstrode began.
"Milli says you're being such a wimp because Potter here has you pussy-whipped," Nott continued.
"But then Theo brought up the point that Potter doesn't have a pussy, so that means you must be dick-whipped."
"To which Milli pointed out that we really couldn't be sure that Potter was pussy-less, which I agreed with."
"But we found our answer when we did a bit of research on Veela. It's obvious to us now that you're Potter's bitch."
"What Milli means is that you're the submissive Veela in this relationship, aren't you?"
"Of course he is. Potter is clearly the dominant one when it comes to their mating. After all, Draco is long used to submitting."
The Slytherin pair just smiled smugly at Harry and Draco after their assessment had been made. The Veela had stood silently through it, not buying into their game, but both Harry and Draco were growing angrier throughout the back and forth. Had they not understood a word of Dumbledore's speech just over an hour ago? You never insult a Veela's mate. But it wasn't until Nott called Draco a submissive that something in Draco snapped, and some corresponding part in Harry reacted.
The wings slowly unfurled from Draco's back, a testament to how in check he was trying to keep himself. Harry knew it wasn't working when Draco's talons began growing, though. A low growl emitted from the dragon's mouth. One look at Draco told Harry that the cold gray eyes had turned molten silver and his canine teeth seemed to have sharpened.
Harry, too intent on watching Draco, didn't notice the changes in himself, but their onlookers did. His wings had likewise unfurled and were steel-hard, his talons, too, had grown and sharpened, his eyes went from a calm green to blazing emerald, and his canines lengthened and honed. But unlike Draco, Harry was not trying to hold back. Harry tore his eyes from his mate and gave a piercing stare to their tormentors.
"Run," he said, his voice maniacally sweet, his eyes alive with lethal mirth.
Harry was not quite in control of himself just then. The only thing that registered with him was that his mate had been insulted on various levels. But most importantly, Draco's dominance had been thrown into question. That insult could not go unanswered.
Luckily for them, the Slytherins noted the quickly deteriorating sanity in the raven's face and were smart enough to take him at his word. They ran. Like the hounds of hell were on their heels.
They hadn't realized Harry had only instructed them to do so because he wanted to give chase. A prize was so much better when you worked for it.
Harry was about to take off after his quarry when a screech loud enough to rend the heavens erupted from beside him.
Draco didn't know what was happening to him. All he knew was that some vital piece of him was questioned. Some central part of his foundation was shaken. They had labeled him a submissive. Questioned his dominance as a Veela.
This had him experiencing a rage past his understanding and all he wanted to do was hurt them for it. It seemed a simple thing, being called submissive, but it caused such turmoil in his system. All he wanted was to lash out and he struggled to contain himself.
Draco screeched with the effort of holding himself together when almost all of him wanted to break free. Of what, he wasn't sure. But he knew if he succumbed, he would do a lot worse to them than simply correct them.
It was almost painful, this holding back. He had his eyes closed tightly, as if this would contribute to his strength. Even his magic whipped around him, rebelling against his hold on his Veela power. He wasn't sure how long he could fight it all before he surrendered. He actually feared for the lives of those that insulted him. They clearly hadn't known just what they were getting themselves into. Neither had he.
Suddenly, Draco felt arms and wings embrace him tightly. Harry. It couldn't be anyone else. No one else was fool enough.
"Draco, calm down," he heard a rough whisper in his ear.
Draco fought harder for control, drawing on Harry's strength to complement his own. He soaked up the feelings of reassurance and calm and peace that Harry was sending him in waves, letting Harry's emotions override his own for dominance.
When he was almost stable again, and his magic returned to hum in his core, Draco opened his eyes. He could see nothing beyond the white of Harry's feathers and the black of his hair, but that was alright. It was a sight better than that that would have met him had Harry not been standing there.
Around them stood curious but frightened students and professors that looked more than wary. Draco saw them as he released Harry to find his own balance again, both internally and externally. Everyone watched the pair as if waiting for a volatile potion to explode. Draco was not feeling strong enough to deal with them but fought burying his head back within the safe confines of Harry's hair and wings. That would show weakness they could not afford.
Draco stepped back from Harry and leveled everyone present with a solid glare. They had been verbally warned; now they saw the consequences. This is what happens when people insult a Veela. Millicent and Theodore were just lucky that Harry was there to calm Draco down. Without his presence, Draco would surely have lost control sooner rather than later and laid his claws into every inch of them, even if he had to hunt them down to do so. They would not have escaped.
As it was, they would receive a different kind of punishment for their foolish insolence.
But for the moment, Draco wanted respite. He needed a reprieve from having to hold his calm before these people. He was still too wound up. He grabbed Harry's hand and dragged him out the door. They were going to get their fresh air. He needed it now more than ever.
Draco led Harry toward the Whomping Willow. Draco actually hated the tree. It was homicidal. But right now, he feared for the tree's safety were it to try to mess with him more than his own. He chose this spot because few students were suicidal enough to get within 200 meters of it.
Harry made no protest about being dragged out the door or taken to the tree. He seemed willing to do whatever Draco needed him to for the blond to reestablish his equilibrium.
"Let's fly," Draco said.
Still, Harry complied without further command. He flapped his still-out wings and was airborne. Draco joined him the next moment and then they were flying.
This was better. Draco felt lighter already, as if his anger and hostility and loss of control were still earthbound. He had left them all on the ground. There was nothing up here but freedom. Freedom and Harry. They circled each other, raced for the lead. Shooting off to some unspecified destination. So long as it was away from where they were. There was too much to do and think and be where they were. Everything was better up here.
And they flew higher, faster, farther. Anything that kept them aloft. Everything would come crashing back down when they alighted. So they didn't. They flew like the part-birds they were and landed on the rings of the Quidditch goals when their wings needed rest. It was as close as they would come to resting in trees.
No one saw them again until afternoon classes.
A/N: For anyone wondering why Draco reacted so violently to being called submissive, may I redirect you to the prologue of this story. (I've been building up to that for awhile; though even I hadn't planned how they'd react beyond "mad".) But such a violent reaction is a one time thing, for both of them. It's just something they hadn't experienced before, and it will be easier to handle from now on if someone makes that mistake, which they might. That'd be fun. ) Again, I put about one-fourth of what I meant to into this chapter. So material for next time, yay! I'll try to not make it take so long this time. Thanks for all those that read/review/follow/favorite! And a special thanks to whoever added this fic to a community. I've wanted to be in one of those. [: